Singing the texts of the Mass brings a solemnity and gravitas to the Liturgy: this is particularly noticeable in the introduction of the new texts for the Novus Ordo. Mgr Andrew Wadsworth in various talks and articles has stressed how the new version of the English Missal contains much more music and that we are encouraged to sing the Mass.
Over the past couple of days I have begun to do this much more, using the simple chants that are printed in the Missal, singing the “The Lord be with you” and the orations at Mass. To my surprise, people actually joined in, even though I have not yet got round to printing out sheets for them. There is an instinct for sacred music just under the surface, I think, and it can be easily recovered.
In the new translation it is easier to sing the Collects since the grammatical structure of the prayers makes it more straightforward to determine where the metrum and flex should be. The antiphons can easily be sung to a psalm tone: later perhaps the children’s choir could have a stab at the “Simple Propers” settings. The setting for the ordinary is about as simple as it could be, yet is unmistakeably sacred music rather than an “Israeli Mass” type setting.
To sing the Mass in this way rather than simply to have a couple of more or less random hymns or songs makes a major impact on the celebration of Mass and it is a significant contribution to the recovery of the sacred in the Liturgy. At the family Mass yesterday for All Saints, the children joined in quite easily with singing the responses; with the other parts of the Mass sung simply, there was a real sense of sung worship rather than simply singing songs while we worship.
Taking this relatively easy step of singing the new texts of the Mass is not so much “brick by brick” but a large section of wall in the reform of the reform that can be built almost overnight.
6 comments:
A good little leaflet of the basic chants may be downloaded from http://romanmissal.org.uk/Home/Music/Singing/Missal-Chants
It is just four sides of A4
I agree completely.
My parish priest will take just about any opportunity to burst into song these days.
Ok, we are always there to match him in the choir if the congregation don't but more and more they are picking it up and the effect is much more prayerful.
I've noticed over the last month or so that there is less talking in the church before Mass starts.
Next stop - Gregorian Chant.
LF
Fr.,
This seems to me a good post. I agree that the new people's parts in the Mass are generally intuitive, though I've noticed in our parish we were getting lost at "it is right and just" without some form of notation.
I thought it worked really well -- even without any sheets. The new Mass seems much more reverent and less "distracted" somehow when intoned in chant.
Is it possible for the Bishops and priests to have lost the Faith? Yes, indeed I do believe they have and have past this on to the new generation of "catholics".
That question was asked at Rorate caeli blogspot with the post:#10 The Church.
It's vital that priests, many of whom have little experience of litugical singing, give a lead here. Musicam Sacram (1967), the most important post-Conciliar document on music, makes it clear that the priest is expected to sing the parts pertaining to him and not use convenience or inclination as an excuse not to do so. This includes the introductory and concluding rites, the priest/people dialogues, the orations, the Preface and the Embolism. The Novus Ordo has a coherent musical structure which up till now has only been evident when it is celebrated in Latin.
This will require some preparation and practice in the first instance, and I know priests are overworked already. Lay people with musical knowledge may need to be on hand with help and encouragement. The missal chants need to become embedded in everyone's consciousness, even if it means singing nothing else for the next twelve months.
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